TOP TIPS Advocacy and Writing a Case for Support

At the heart of all good fundraising is an effective Case for Support – a powerful and engaging argument as to why a donor / funder / investor should support your work. Every application needs to be tailored to the specific funding opportunity; preparing a Case for Support with all the key facts and figures about your organisation means you will have all the core elements ready for your fundraising request.

Never assume that funders and donors know who you are or what you do – even when you think they should! Your application may be scored by a panel that knows nothing about your organisation.

1. Who are you? • Who are you and what do you do. How long have you been established? Do you work in partnership with other organisations?

2. What is the need? • How are things now and why do they have to change? • What will happen if things don’t change? • Why is your organisation the best one to change things?

3. What is your Solution? • What is your organisation’s solution to the problem • What are you going to use the money for • Who or what will benefit from the work you plan to do – detail outcomes not outputs. • What will be the difference you make if you are successful – detail the impact. • How will the project be evaluated, how will success be measured?

4. How much will it cost? • How much will this cost? • Detail of the expenditure- be as specific as possible • Try and demonstrate the value for money the project will deliver • Who else is funding – include any funding currently secured, any additional funding being applied for and any match funding which will be leveraged if the application is successful. Remember!

Why are you doing what you are doing?

Why is it important?

Why should a funder / investor / donor support you?

As you think about and create your Case for Support, it helps to ask the following questions:

- Is your message clear, concise, and compelling?
- Would the reader have a solid understanding of your organisation’s programmes, impact, and the people / communities you support?
- How effectively does your Case for Support set the stage for why you need £?
- Is the style of writing engaging? Remember you are one person writing for another; if your style is too formal, although the content may be incredibly informative, it may be too ‘dry’ to make an impact. Does the excitement and passion for your project translate to the text?
- Use personal stories or ‘case studies’ to demonstrate the impact and bring your case for support to life
- Have you written in the present tense? (The answer should be yes!)
- Would a prospective donor / funder / investor be inspired to give after reading your Case for Support?
- Describe impacts not features i.e. 200 people will visit the archive is a feature, what will be the impact of their visit?
- Adjust the message to suit your audience – you will require more than one case for support; each will need to be tailored to the audience. You should not submit a case for support without having endeavored to find out what the objectives of the reader will be.
- Ask others to review your case for support before submitting it.
- Ensure the document ties in with your organisation’s mission, vision and strategy